Tracking Exercise: Horseback Riding - Horse Riding - Equestrian

I know it's perhaps not the most common exercise, but common enough and it's incredibly difficult to gauge what kind of calory burn and value this kind of exercise has, because - well the horse does most of the work! There is a huge difference in riding styles and how this effects my own exercise level: trail riding can be just walking - where the rider has little exercise, but if you trot it's quite the exercise for the rider too. Then there is the distance aspect, which is invalid when you do dressage or arena riding... Finally jumping has quite a different impact again. 

 

Since I work for a digital agency, I know that you must have business logic to build out expensive new features both for the sensors, the logic/algorithm and how you present it on the web. I know it's a huge effort. But with an equestrian tracker, you will have a captive audience and a weathy niche market who will be loyal customers. You'll need to do little marketing as this is definitely an industry/audience who are all interconnected and exchange ideas, infos and new products readily. 

And if you want to go all out, you could combine it with a FitBit for the horse - because most horse owners also want to monitor the stress on their horse as well as their horses' fitness. 

 

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity and labels.

202 Comments
smallsadsam
First Steps

It added over 3000 steps in half an hour... While I was riding my horse. I think it still counts the horse's steps.

smallsadsam
First Steps
It added over 3000 steps in half an hour... While I was riding my horse. I think it still counts the horse's steps.

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SewKatrina
First Steps

Yes, please - just bought my FitBit Charge 2 HR...and bummed that horseback riding isn't an option.  I get a LOT of exercise riding...if anyone thinks otherwise they obviously haven't ridden with me.  Between that and farm chores (although I don't expect a "bucking bales" option, although it would be handy!) that is the majority of my workouts, although I do go to the gym sometimes, too. 

Augustavb
First Steps

I am very happy with my fitbit, except for the lack of good tracking possibilities for horseback riding! Its disappointing to have to add it manually, both because it takes time, and because you down get GPS tracking. Choosing bike has worked for me sometimes, but sometimes its not possible to change it to horseback riding afterwards, which is annoying. Also, choosing workout is not a good option as it counts steps. Would be lovely if it could be one of the exercise shortcuts. 

Loveminke
Jogger

I'm stil getting used to my new fitbit alta HR. I thought it would be a nice way to track the calories I've burned during horse back riding. After my ride this evening I realised my step count was really high. 

 

Idea: i would like to be able to manually log my ride as an activity and that the steps taken according to my fitbit will be written over, like with adding 'driving' as an activity. Another possibility would be that I could log Driving and then edit/change the name to horse back riding.

Wheeler_laura
Recovery Runner

Moderator says it was forwarded in 2015 & still no change. C'mon fitbit! I spent a lot of money on your product, I would like a sport - that is not so uncommon - like riding to be available as an option WITHOUT it counting the horse's steps. It should be easy as soon as I choose horseback riding on the activities page to subtract any steps taken during that time, no?

EileenP
Recovery Runner
The way I do it now is to let my fitbit at home, track my ride via Map My Ride, then enter it manually into Fitbit. If Map My Ride is able to calculate the calories, why can't Fitbit?

Eileen
Jojoflojo
Recovery Runner

I love it! Fitbit default advise it to manually log exercise!!! Hello!!!!! I didn't pay €250 for my Fitbit surge to then leave it in my gym bag and manually enter exercise! Horse riding at the moment I use bike riding as when hacking out I want a GPS map etc. It can't be that hard for Fitbit to allow us to edit the name or the exercise afterwards! Yes Fitbit I put this idea on the correct page over a year ago!!! It mustn't be that hard! We can edit generic workout names why not all workouts????? It will enable so many people with a variety of different sports to use exercise settings already there and then rename them afterwards!

IanSims
First Steps


I recently replaced my aging Pebble watch with a Fitbit Blaze, I am warming to it but it does fall a little bit short of the Pebble for my sport of endurance. I am using the bike exercise mode which gives me all the info I need, just have to jump through too many hoops to get the tracking info onto Endomondo. So I guess I start again to keep track of distances, which I use for training plans and monitor shoe wear and shoeing cycles.

 

EquestrianToo
Stepping Up

Can I please add my name to the long list of people asking for a horse riding activity. 

 

I am really quite frustrated as I even asked the sales person in the shop if it tracked equestrian sports and I was assured it did!!   Feel like I've been mis-sold...and rather disheartened at the age of this tread, with no formal update. 

motherdecker
First Steps
I know! I know! Where is there any corporate response to us?!
EileenP
Recovery Runner
I'm not sure that they read posts on the community page. We need a different way to communicate with them that they see the large numbers of us horse riders requesting a way to track our sport

Eileen
pammalamma
First Steps

I have given up on Fitbit ever making an equestrian sport. I just ignore my riding effort in Fitbit and I log it in my fitness pal for calorie burn. The steps I figure are fine as I probably work equal to walking when I'm riding dressage. Probably more like a brisk walk or slow jog. 

 

Pearlsmama
Jogger

I have owned my FitBit Blaze for 1 week.  One of the reasons i got it was to use the countdown and stopwatch features while riding my horse.  Horse is recovering from an injury and i must monitor how many minutes he trots before he walks again. I was trying to do this on the iPhone but it was too awkward to start it, put it in my pocket, and keep it running for 2 - 4 minutes.  The Countdown feature is exactly what i need.  however, then i discovered that all my time riding the horse added to my own steps for the day.  Since i ride 2 horses every day, and i need to wear the watch as i said above, I have not been able to track my own exercise. Can you please add a feature that would let us turn off  only the step tracker when riding? 

MarkyG
Jogger

..............

 

Alison2016
Stepping Up
Doesn't work on iOS

Sent from my iPad
EileenP
Recovery Runner
It does not work on Fitbit. Does not matter if you use iOS or Android for the app.

Eileen
Pearlsmama
Jogger
you have listed many excellent features that would be great to have on FitBit for equestrians. My primary need is simple - beBy including my horse’s steps, it is drastically overstating my own steps/miles. I would like to know how many steps I take on my own power, not have that information distorted by the horse’s steps being included. Two hours of riding every day is a lot of steps/miles. FitBit name - Pearlsmama
pammalamma
First Steps
Yes I have the same issue. Apparently Fitbit has no intention of updating their app despite so many requests to do so.

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AliKnapp
First Steps

Just received the FitBit as a Christmas present and I’m so disappointed to discover there’s no way to track horse riding since it’s my main sport.  Amazed to see it was acknowledged as a suggestion in 2015 but nothing has been implemented yet.  Any progress on this at all?  

Pearlsmama
Jogger
I have not heard anything. There are a number of good suggestions for modifications to the FitBit to make it more compatible with riding. Perhaps we all need to organize and send in our requests as a large group. I would be happy with it if i could just turn off the step tracker when i was riding. I usually ride two horses a day and the FitBit completely distorts the steps and miles that i walk as a person, since it counts the horses steps. that’s a lot!!
EileenP
Recovery Runner
I use MapMyRide app to track my horseback rides. It gives me miles, pace, time, and calories. If that app can do it, then why can't Fitbit? As it is, I must remember to take off my fitbit before I get on my horse.

Eileen
pammalamma
First Steps
I agree. I’m in the same boat. They evidently don’t care about changing their software. I usually take off my watch when I ride. That’s my workaround although I know I’m exercising as I do dressage. It’s a workout for muscles for sure.

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AliKnapp
First Steps

.I am wondering whether marking it as cycling might work?

 

(apologies for duplicate post)

AliKnapp
First Steps

I’m wondering whether recording it as cycling might be a temporary equivalent as presumably that doesn’t record steps?

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